Pressure regulators are commonly relied on to reduce the pressure of a gas as it is delivered from a pressurized gas reservoir, such as a portable compressed air tank, to an application device, such as a paintball marker. Paintball markers may feature a gas pressure regulator which is typically directly connected to the mouth of a portable tank designed to store gasses at very high pressures, typically between 3000-4500 psi. Commonly referred to as “tank regulators,” these gas pressure regulators may reduce the pressure of the gas delivered from the tank down to, for example, 600-800 psi before the gas enters the paintball marker for use in firing a projectile.
Conventional gas pressure regulators, such as those used in the sport of paintball, are commonly designed so that the unregulated high pressure from the reservoir applies a force which works toward disengaging the seal between the source chamber and the output chamber. As a result, such regulators can easily fail in the open position when dirt and debris become trapped between the respective valve seat and seal. Such failures may enable the unrestricted flow of unregulated pressurized gas from the pressurized gas reservoir into the application device, causing safety concerns as well as damage to the application device.